Container



(kb-13, 1942 w. REEsYE 2,298,311

CONTAINER Filed Dec. .'50, 1939 Xf. A'rroR Patented Oct. 13 1942 CONTAINER Garland W. Reese, Chappaqua, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 30, 1939, Serial No. 311,873

(Cl. 22o-4.8)

l Claim.

This invention relates in general to containers and more particularly to a novel end seam which secures a container end closure to a container body and which is readily severable to open the container, after which the end closure may be used as a convenient reclosure.

An object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary container having a novel end seam at either or both ends thereof which provides a cutting portion which may be readily cut Without the cutting means or any of the out parts coming in contact with the contents of the container and for these reasons the invention is especially adapted for embodiment in food containers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel end seam which Will permit ready cutting and at the same time result in smooth non-ragged cut edges both on the remaining seam portion and also on the remaining reclosure portion, thereby protecting the hands of the ultimate consumer.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel end seam construction having a necked-in annular rim portion or shoulder Which provides a convenient track for a cutting tool such as a rotary container opener.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel end seam having its cutting or severing line so located that the remainder of the seam functions as a support for the various parts of the cutting tool.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a novel end seam which can be formed economically with only a slight change in existing seam forming devices, such as first and second operation seaming rollers, and which results in a tight and (if desired) a hermetic joint between container body and end closure.

Numerous other Objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the upper part of the container including the novel seam and also shox-vs in perspective the cutter and feeding portions oi a rotary cutter in position for the cutting operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the container and reclosure parts in separated, superposed position, as they appear separated after the cutting operation is completed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the end seam made hermetic by the inclusion of a sealing compound.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated and exemplified in the several views, comprises a cylindrical container, of sheet metal such as tin plate or other suitable material, having a body I I, a bottom end closure secured to the body Ii, as by the usual double seam I2, and a top end closure member I3 secured to the body Il by the novel end double seam I4.

The end double seam lli, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 2, is formed by the interfolding or interlocking of the marginal flanges of the body II and the end closure I3, providing, in case sheet metal is used in the construction, ve thicknesses, Walls or layers of metal, namely an inner layer I5, which is provided by the vertical wall of the countersunk end closure I3, an adjacent layer I5, which is part of the container body Wall II, an adjacent layer I'I, which is the outer marginal part oi the flange of the end closure I3, an adjacent layer I8, which is the outer marginal part of the ilange of the can body II, and an outer layer I9, which is the inner marginal part of the flange of the end closure I3. The outermost layer I9 of the double seam Id merges at the top int-o a substantially horizontal inwardly extending shoulder 26 deiined by an inwardly set or necked-in vertical Wall part 2I of the end closure member, which in turn is pinched upon and against the vertical Wall portion or inner layer I5 of the end closure member to form a vertically projecting annular top rim 22 of double thickness, which together with a centrally disposed horizontal Wall part 23 of the end closure, completes the end seam construction of the container.

When this end seam is required to b-e liquid or air tight it is desirable to interpose a gasket, packing or sealing compound material 24 between the parts I8, I9 and 2li as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. When such a sealing material is used the small annular opening or space 25 (Fig. 2) is preferably lled with the sealing material.

In order to open the container above described a rotary cutter opener, of which there are several types available, is used or may be readily adapted for use. The opener illustrated and exemplied in Fig. 2 essentially comprises a rotary cutter roller 26, of hardened or tempered steel, which is preferably tapered and has a sharp annular cutting edge 21, and is operatively supported on a roller shaft 2B, which is journalled in parts and driven by parts not here shown but which are well known in the art. A propelling or feeding roller 29, having a reduced or smaller diameter portion 30 and a larger diameter or flange portion 3| and mounted on a shaft 32 is adapted to frictionally engage the lower and outer faces of the double seam I4 and cooperates with the cutter roll 2B, assisted by well known connecting parts (not shown) to propel the cutter 1'ol1 26 and itself around the whole periphery of the double seam I4.

When the cutter roll 26 is in the cutting position illustrated in Fig. 2,the cutting edge 21 coincides with a line of cut or severance C which follows the corner between the parts 20 and 2| of the seam I4.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the cut edges remaining after the cutting operation are smooth and non-ragged and the hand of the ultimate consumer is protected from the cut edge remaining on the reclosure I3 by the rounded rim 22, and the cut edge on the remaining double seam still attached to the body Il is shielded by the horizontal part or shoulder 20, which is slightly rounded or reformed by the cutting operation.

From the foregoing it will also be readily appreciated that the invention provides an end seam for sanitary containers which may be effectively cut to disconnect the end closure from the container body along a clean line of severance and without bringing the cutter parts or the cut container parts in contact with the container It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A sanitary sheet metal food container adapted to be opened by a rotary cutting tool without contacting the contents, comprising a container body having an end flange, and an end closure also having a flange, said anges being interlocked to produce an end double seam for securing said end closure to said body, said end seam comprising five closely contacting layers of metal, theinnermost layer consisting of an inner body engaging wall and the outermost layer consisting of a depending flange portion of the end closure, and a gasket material interposed between said innermost and outermost layers, said innermost and outermost layers being projected axially beyond the intermediate layers in a reversely folded closely contacting pinched rim of double thickness at the outer extremity of the seam to provide a reenforced solid backing for a cutting tool, said outermost layer being bent inwardly at substantially right angles to the said innermost layer and over the intermediate layers to provide with the base of said rim a comparatively wide shoulder constituting a definite annular track for a rotary cutting tool to follow without slipping olf, a cavity formed above said intermediate layers between said shoulder and said innermost layer for receiving the cutting edge of said tool, a portion of said gasket material being confined in said cavity, whereby said end closure may be severed from the body while the container contents are shielded from said cutter and any cut container parts.

GARLAND W. REESE. 

